Communication processing apparatus, computer program product and data processing method

ABSTRACT

A communication processing apparatus, a computer program product, and a data processing method are provided. The communication processing apparatus includes a near-field communication unit configured to perform near-field communication; a control unit configured to acquire communication history data of near-field communication performed by using the near-field communication unit; and a storage unit configured to store the communication history data under control of the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to acquire the communication history data stored in the storage unit and transmit the acquired communication history data to a server that performs information management, when issuing an information registration request to the server.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.12/480,295, filed on Jun. 8, 2009, which claims priority to JapanesePriority Patent Application JP 2008-150149 filed in the Japan PatentOffice on Jun. 9, 2008, the entire contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates to an information management apparatus,method, and computer program product, and a communication processingapparatus, method, and computer program product, and more particularly,to an information management apparatus, method, and computer programproduct, and a communication processing apparatus, method, and computerprogram product that are applied to building and management of a socialnetwork service (SNS) community or the like.

Recently, communications through networks have been actively performed.For example, a community building service, such as an SNS, is a serviceprovided through a network. An SNS is described, for example, inJapanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-110616.

In this community building service, by registering user informationincluding, for example, a profile of a user on a website which providesthe community building service and making the user information public,the user can communicate, through a network, with many users who accessthe site.

The community building service such as an SNS causes, for example, thefollowing problems:

-   -   a site similar to a blog site for keeping personal diaries is        unintentionally provided    -   a closed community made up of exclusive members becomes an open        community including a randomly increasing number of users who        join the community    -   the number of ghost users increases because one user uses two or        more IDs    -   a dating site is unintentionally provided

In addition, the following problems may arise because an SNS communityuses a network:

-   -   users do not see each other's faces    -   a large number of ghost members exist

The above-mentioned problems do not occur if an SNS community is made upof well-meaning users. However, in actuality, users who have various badintentions can join the community. It is thus difficult to avoid theabove-mentioned problems.

SUMMARY

It is desirable to provide an information management apparatus, method,and computer program product, and, a communication processing apparatus,method, and computer program product that avoid negative effects such asan increase in the number of ghost members and maintain the order of acommunity by limiting who may join the community.

An information management apparatus according to a first embodimentincludes a communication unit configured to receive, from a plurality ofcommunication processing apparatuses, a plurality of pieces ofcommunication history data of near-field communication performed in theplurality of communication processing apparatuses; a data comparisonunit configured to perform comparison of the plurality of pieces ofcommunication history data received by the communication unit; and adata registration unit configured to register a plurality of pieces ofuser information associated with the plurality of communicationprocessing apparatuses as a group in a database on condition that it isverified by the data comparison unit, in accordance with the pluralityof pieces of communication history data of the near-field communication,that near-field communication has been performed between the pluralityof communication processing apparatuses.

Furthermore, in the information management apparatus, the datacomparison unit may be configured to determine, in accordance with,among the plurality of communication processing apparatuses, user IDs ofcommunication processing apparatuses with which other communicationprocessing apparatuses have performed near-field communication, the userIDs being included in a plurality of pieces of communication historydata received from the other communication processing apparatuses,whether near-field communication has been performed between theplurality of communication processing apparatuses.

Furthermore, in the information management apparatus, the datacomparison unit may be configured to determine, in accordance withwhether a plurality of pieces of data of a near-field communication dateand time included in the plurality of pieces of communication historydata received from the plurality of communication processing apparatusesmatch each other, whether near-field communication has been performedbetween the plurality of communication processing apparatuses.

Furthermore, in the information management apparatus, the datacomparison unit may be configured to determine, in accordance withwhether a plurality of pieces of data of a near-field communicationposition included in the plurality of pieces of communication historydata received from the plurality of communication processing apparatusesmatch each other, whether near-field communication has been performedbetween the plurality of communication processing apparatuses.

A communication processing apparatus according to a second embodimentincludes a near-field communication unit configured to performnear-field communication; a control unit configured to acquirecommunication history data of near-field communication performed byusing the near-field communication unit; and a storage unit configuredto store the communication history data under control of the controlunit. The control unit is configured to acquire the communicationhistory data stored in the storage unit and transmit the acquiredcommunication history data to a server that performs informationmanagement, when issuing an information registration request to theserver.

Furthermore, in the communication processing apparatus, the control unitmay be configured to acquire, as the communication history data,identification information on a communication processing apparatus withwhich near-field communication has been performed, and when issuing theinformation registration request, transmit the acquired identificationinformation to the server.

Furthermore, in the communication processing apparatus, the control unitmay be configured to acquire, as the communication history data,execution date and time information on a date and time when near-fieldcommunication was performed, and when issuing the informationregistration request, transmit the acquired execution date and timeinformation to the server.

Furthermore, in the communication processing apparatus, the control unitmay be configured to acquire, as the communication history data,execution position information on a position where near-fieldcommunication was performed, and when issuing the informationregistration request, transmit the acquired execution positioninformation to the server.

An information management method according to a third embodimentperformed in an information management apparatus includes the steps ofreceiving, by using a communication unit, from a plurality ofcommunication processing apparatuses, a plurality of pieces ofcommunication history data of near-field communication performed in theplurality of communication processing apparatuses; performing, by usinga data comparison unit, comparison of the received plurality of piecesof communication history data; and registering, by using a dataregistration unit, a plurality of pieces of user information associatedwith the plurality of communication processing apparatuses as a group ina database on condition that it is verified, in accordance with theplurality of pieces of communication history data of the near-fieldcommunication, that near-field communication has been performed betweenthe plurality of communication processing apparatuses.

A data processing method according to a fourth embodiment performed in acommunication processing apparatus includes the steps of performing, byusing a near-field communication unit, near-field communication withanother communication processing apparatus; acquiring, by using acontrol unit, communication history data of near-field communicationperformed by using the near-field communication unit, and storing, byusing the control unit, the acquired communication history data in astorage unit; and acquiring, by using the control unit, thecommunication history data stored in the storage unit and transmitting,by using the control unit, the acquired communication history data to aserver that performs information management, when issuing, by using thecontrol unit, an information registration request to the server.

A computer program product according to a fifth embodiment havinginstructions that when read by a CPU cause an information managementapparatus to perform information management processing including thesteps of causing a communication unit to receive, from a plurality ofcommunication processing apparatuses, a plurality of pieces ofcommunication history data of near-field communication performed in theplurality of communication processing apparatuses; causing a datacomparison unit to perform comparison of the received plurality ofpieces of communication history data; and causing a data registrationunit to register a plurality of pieces of user information on theplurality of communication processing apparatuses as a group in adatabase on condition that it is verified, in accordance with theplurality of pieces of communication history data of the near-fieldcommunication, that near-field communication has been performed betweenthe plurality of communication processing apparatuses.

A computer program product according to a sixth embodiment havinginstructions that when read by a CPU cause a communication processingapparatus to perform data processing including the steps of causing anear-field communication unit to perform near-field communication withanother communication processing apparatus; causing a control unit toacquire communication history data of near-field communication performedby using the near-field communication unit and to store the acquiredcommunication history data in a storage unit; and causing the controlunit to acquire the communication history data stored in the storageunit and to transmit the acquired communication history data to a serverthat performs information management, when causing the control unit toissue an information registration request to the server.

A computer program product according to an embodiment is, for example, acomputer program that can be provided for a computer system capable ofexecuting various types of program code in the form of acomputer-readable storage medium or a communication medium. Such aprogram is provided in the computer-readable form, thereby implementingprocessing in accordance with the program on the computer system.

Further features, and advantages will become apparent from the followingdetailed description based on embodiments and the accompanying drawings.Note that the system referred to in the description represents astructure of a logical set of a plurality of apparatuses, and theapparatuses having individual configurations are not necessarilycontained in a single housing.

According to a feature of an embodiment, a plurality of pieces ofcommunication history data of near-field communication performed in aplurality of communication processing apparatuses are received from theplurality of communication processing apparatuses, and comparison of thereceived plurality of pieces of communication history data is performed.On condition that it is verified that near-field communication has beenperformed between the plurality of communication processing apparatuses,users of the plurality of communication processing apparatuses areregistered as community members. Each of the plurality of pieces ofcommunication history data acquired and subjected to comparison isinformation on an ID of an apparatus with which communication has beenperformed, a communication date and time, a communication executionposition, and the like. On condition that it is verified, in accordancewith the data, that near-field communication has actually beenperformed, registration as members of a community can be performed. Withthis processing, registration of a user, such as a ghost user, whoactually does not exist can be avoided.

Additional features and advantages are described in, and will beapparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configurationof a communication management system according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a processing sequence accordingto an embodiment in which a community member is registered;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a processing sequence accordingto an embodiment in which a community member is registered;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a processing sequence accordingto an embodiment in which a community member is registered;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a processing sequence accordingto an embodiment in which a community member is registered; and

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configurationof an information management apparatus (server) according to anembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An information management apparatus, method, and computer programproduct, and a communication processing apparatus, method, and computerprogram product according to an embodiment will be described in detailwith reference to the drawings.

According to an embodiment, negative effects such as an increase in thenumber of ghost members can be avoided and the order of a community canbe maintained by limiting who may join the community. In communitymanagement processing in an embodiment, there is a restriction upon whomay join the community in accordance with the following conditions:

(a) to have met a registered user in the real world

(b) to have been to a particular place or venue

(c) to have joined an event such as a particular meeting or party

For example, users who satisfy any of conditions (a) to (c) arepermitted to join the community.

An example of the entire configuration of a community management systemaccording to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1.FIG. 1 illustrates a server 110 which provides a website for building anSNS community or the like and performs community management processing,a communication processing apparatus A 120 owned by a user A, and acommunication processing apparatus B 130 owned by a user B, the users Aand B joining the community.

The server 110 and each of the communication processing apparatus A 120and the communication processing apparatus B 130 are capable ofcommunicating with each other through a network such as the Internet.The server 110 includes a database 111 in which community managementinformation including information on users who join the community, suchas user IDs as user identifiers, is stored.

Only the communication processing apparatuses A and B owned by the usersA and B, respectively, are shown in FIG. 1 as representative examples.However, a large number of users join the community, and manycommunication processing apparatuses owned by the users who join thecommunity can also perform communications through the network.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, both the communication processingapparatuses A 120 and B 130 are cellular phones. However, acommunication processing apparatus according to an embodiment is notnecessarily a cellular phone. For example, a communication processingapparatus according to an embodiment may be an apparatus such as apersonal computer (PC).

The configuration of the communication processing apparatus A 120 willnow be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication processingapparatus A 120 includes a control unit 121, a communication unit 122, anear-field communication unit 123, and a storage unit 124. The controlunit 121 controls various data processing and data communicationoperations performed in the communication processing apparatus A 120.The communication unit 122 performs communication through a network suchas the Internet.

The near-field communication unit 123 performs near-field communication(for example, near-field communication conforming to near-fieldcommunication (NFC) standards) with another communication processingapparatus such as the communication processing apparatus B 130.Identification information (ID) of the communication processingapparatus A 120, programs and parameters used for various dataprocessing and data communication operations performed in thecommunication processing apparatus A 120, communication historyinformation, and the like are stored in the storage unit 124. Note thatthe near-field communication unit 123 employs, for example, FeliCa®technology, which is a near-field communication technology developed bySony Corporation.

The control unit 121 of the communication processing apparatus 120 shownin FIG. 1 acquires communication history data of near-fieldcommunication performed by using the near-field communication unit 123,and stores the acquired communication history data in the storage unit124. In addition, when issuing a community member registration requestto the server 110 that performs community management, the control unit121 acquires communication history data (identification information onan apparatus with which near-field communication has been performed,information on the date and time on which near-field communication wasperformed, information on the position where near-field communicationwas performed, and the like) stored in the storage unit 124, andtransmits the acquired communication history data to the server 110. Thedetails of the processing will be described later in detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, the communication processing apparatus B 130 has aconfiguration similar to that of the communication processing apparatusA 120. The communication processing apparatus B 130 includes a controlunit 131, a communication unit 132, a near-field communication unit 133,and a storage unit 134. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 shows theminimum necessary functions as a communication processing apparatusaccording to an embodiment. As described above, a communicationprocessing apparatus according to an embodiment may be a cellular phone,a PC, or the like. The configuration of the communication processingapparatus differs in accordance with the components of the apparatus.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, communication between the server110 and the communication processing apparatus A 120 and communicationbetween the server 110 and the communication processing apparatus B 130are performed through a network such as the Internet. Meanwhile,communication between the communication processing apparatus A 120 andthe communication processing apparatus B 130 is performed as near-fieldcommunication through the near-field communication unit 123 of thecommunication processing apparatus A 120 and the near-fieldcommunication unit 133 of the communication processing apparatus B 130.In this case, the range in which near-field communication can beperformed is at most several meters. Thus, it is necessary for the usersA and B to see each other and perform communication by bringing thecommunication processing apparatuses A 120 and B 130 near each other.Communication histories of the near-field communication are stored inthe storage unit 124 of the communication processing apparatus A 120 andthe storage unit 134 of the communication processing apparatus B 130.

A plurality of examples of a user registration processing sequence to acommunity in an embodiment will be explained with reference to sequencediagrams shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. For example, the following plurality ofprocessing examples are considered:

(1) processing sequence in which a user B is registered as a communitymember on condition that the user B meets in the real world a user A whois registered as a community member (see FIG. 2)

(2) processing sequence in which users A and B who are registered ascommunity members are registered as members of a particular group(friend) of community members on condition that both the users A and Bmeet each other in the real world (see FIG. 3)

(3) processing sequence in which only a user who has been to a shop ispermitted to be registered as a member of a community established by theshop (see FIG. 4)

(4) processing sequence in which near-field communication historyinformation is transferred between a plurality of communicationprocessing apparatuses (for example, a cellular phone and a PC) owned bya user and transfer information is used (see FIG. 5)

The processing sequences (1) to (4) will be explained below in order.

(1) Processing sequence in which a user B is registered as a communitymember on condition that the user B meets in the real world a user A whois registered as a community member (see FIG. 2)

First, the processing sequence in which a user B is registered as acommunity member on condition that the user B meets in the real world auser A who is registered as a community member will be described withreference to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 shows a communication processing sequence performed among aserver that performs management processing for a community, morespecifically, that performs registration processing for registeringmembers of the community, and communication processing apparatuses A andB owned by users A and B who are to be registered as community members.

In communication with the server in steps S101 and 102, userregistration for the user A is performed. Then, the user B is registeredas a “friend” of the user A. Here, “friend” is one category of memberswho join the community.

An overview of a processing sequence for registering the user B as a newcommunity member is as described below.

-   -   The user B meets in the real world the user A who has been        registered as a community member and near-field communication is        performed between the communication processing apparatuses A and        B owned by the users A and B.    -   The server acquires communication history information on the        near-field communication from each of the communication        processing apparatuses A and B, and compares the communication        history information acquired from the communication processing        apparatus A with the communication history information acquired        from the communication processing apparatus B.    -   On condition that the communication history information received        from the communication processing apparatus A matches the        communication history information received from the        communication processing apparatus B and verification is        successful, the user B is registered as a community member (for        example, a “friend” of the user A).

In this processing example, only a user who satisfies condition (a): tohave met a registered user in the real world, can be registered as a newmember.

Processing steps of the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 2 will beexplained.

Processing of steps S101 to 102 is registration processing for the userA performed in accordance with communication processing performedbetween the communication processing apparatus A owned by the user A andthe server. The registration processing for the user A is performed, forexample, as processing for registering an initial member of thecommunity. Predetermined user verification processing is performed, anduser registration is performed. Such a registration sequence forregistering an initial member is different from a registration sequencefor registering the user B, which will be described later. Thus, it isdesirable that only a predetermined limited number of members beregistered as initial members.

The registration sequence for registering the user A is as describedbelow. In step S101, the user A transmits, by using the communicationprocessing apparatus A, predetermined user information including useridentification information (user ID) to the server. The server performsa predetermined user verification sequence in accordance with the userinformation including the user identification information (user ID)received from the communication processing apparatus A. In a case whereit is determined that the user A satisfies a registration requirement,the server stores the user information including the user identificationinformation in the database, and performs processing for registering theuser A as a community member. After registration is completed, in stepS102, the server transmits a registration completion notification to thecommunication processing apparatus A. The user ID may be an IDcorresponding to the user A or an ID corresponding to the communicationprocessing apparatus A.

The processing of step S103 and the subsequent steps is processing forregistering a new member (additional member) of the community. In thisprocessing example, in order to avoid registration of a ghost member orthe like, only a user who have met in the real world an authorizedregistered member (in this example, the user A) can be registered.

In step S103, the user A (who has been registered as a community member)and the user B (who has not been registered) meet each other, andnear-field communication between the communication processing apparatusA owned by the user A and the communication processing apparatus B ownedby the user B is performed. Near-field communication is performed byusing the near-field communication units 123 and 133 of thecommunication processing apparatuses 120 and 130 shown in FIG. 1.

In step S104, the communication processing apparatus A stores, ascommunication history information, data received from the communicationprocessing apparatus B in the storage unit of the communicationprocessing apparatus A, and the communication processing apparatus Bstores, as communication history information, data received from thecommunication processing apparatus A in the storage unit of thecommunication processing apparatus B.

In the near-field communication, for example, the following data aretransmitted from the communication processing apparatus A to thecommunication processing apparatus B:

(a) a user ID of the user A (an ID corresponding to the user A or an IDcorresponding to the communication processing apparatus A)

(b) a nickname of the user A (any name (handle) set by the user A)corresponding to the user ID

(c) data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a global positioning system (GPS))

(e) an identifier of a server site (website) registered by the user A

(f) access information (uniform resource locator (URL)) on the serversite

The data (a) to (f) are transmitted from the communication processingapparatus A owned by the user A to the communication processingapparatus B owned by the user B. The communication processing apparatusB stores the received data as communication history information in thestorage unit of the communication processing apparatus B. Among the data(a) to (f), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. The other data arenot necessary. However, it is desirable that the other data also betransmitted if the other data can be transmitted.

Meanwhile, in the near-field communication, for example, the followingdata are transmitted from the communication processing apparatus B tothe communication processing apparatus A:

(a) a user ID of the user B (an ID corresponding to the user B or an IDcorresponding to the communication processing apparatus B)

(b) a nickname of the user B (any name (handle) set by the user B)corresponding to the user ID

(c) data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

The data (a) to (d) are transmitted from the communication processingapparatus B owned by the user B to the communication processingapparatus A owned by the user A. The communication processing apparatusA stores the received data as communication history information in thestorage unit of the communication processing apparatus A. Among the data(a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. The other data arenot necessary. However, it is desirable that the other data also betransmitted if the other data can be transmitted.

After near-field communication between the communication processingapparatus A and the communication processing apparatus B is performed,the processing of step S105 and the subsequent steps is performed.

In step S105, the communication processing apparatus A is connected tothe server, and issues to the server a registration request to registerthe user B as a “friend” of the user A. As described above, “friend” isone category of members who join the community provided and managed bythe server. When issuing the registration request, the communicationprocessing apparatus A uploads to the server the communication historydata, which is a record of near-field communication with thecommunication processing apparatus B, stored in the storage unit of thecommunication processing apparatus A. More specifically, the followingdata are acquired from the storage unit and transmitted to the server:

(a) the user ID of the user B

(b) the nickname of the user B (any name (handle) set by the user B)corresponding to the user ID

(c) the data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) the information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

Among the data (a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. Theother data are not necessary. However, it is desirable that the otherdata also be transmitted if the other data have been acquired.

Processing of steps S106 and S107 is performed by the communicationprocessing apparatus B when the communication processing apparatus B isconnected to the server. In the processing of steps S106 and S107, thecommunication processing apparatus B requests the server to performprocessing for registering the user B and processing for registering theuser A as a “friend” of the user B.

In step S106, the communication processing apparatus B is connected tothe server and issues a registration request to the server. When issuingthe registration request, the communication processing apparatus Buploads to the server the communication history data, which is a recordof near-field communication with the communication processing apparatusA, stored in the storage unit of the communication processing apparatusB. More specifically, the following data are acquired from the storageunit and transmitted to the server:

(a) the user ID of the user A

(b) the nickname of the user A (any name (handle) set by the user A)corresponding to the user ID

(c) the data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) the information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

Among the data (a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. Theother data are not necessary. However, it is desirable that the otherdata also be transmitted if the other data have been acquired.

Furthermore, in step S107, the communication processing apparatus B isconnected to the server, and transmits identification information (userID) of the user B to the server. The user ID is an ID corresponding tothe user B or an ID corresponding to the communication processingapparatus B. Accordingly, in steps S106 to 107, the communicationprocessing apparatus B requests the server to perform processing forregistering the user B and processing for registering the user A as a“friend” of the user B.

In step S108, the server compares the communication history data, whichis a record of near-field communication, received from the communicationprocessing apparatus A with the communication history data, which is arecord of near-field communication, received from the communicationprocessing apparatus B.

The comparison processing includes, for example, the following dataverification processing:

(x) verifying that the communication date and time recorded in thecommunication history data received from the communication processingapparatus A matches the communication date and time recorded in thecommunication history data received from the communication processingapparatus B

(y) verifying that the user ID recorded in the communication historydata received from the communication processing apparatus A is the sameas the user ID corresponding to the user B (or the communicationprocessing apparatus B) received from the communication processingapparatus B and that the user ID recorded in the communication historydata received from the communication processing apparatus B is the sameas the user ID corresponding to the registered user A (or thecommunication processing apparatus A)

In step S108, the server performs the data verification processing (x)and (y). For example, in a case where information on the position wherenear-field communication was performed has been received from each ofthe communication processing apparatuses A and B, the server checkswhether the positional information received from the communicationprocessing apparatus A matches the positional information received fromthe communication processing apparatus B. Furthermore, if other datathat can be subjected to comparison have been received, the serverperforms comparison of the data.

As described above, in step S108, by comparing the data received fromthe communication processing apparatus A with the data received from thecommunication processing apparatus B, the server checks whethernear-field communication has been performed between the communicationprocessing apparatus A and the communication processing apparatus B.

In a case where verification in step S108 is successful and it isverified that near-field communication has been performed between thecommunication processing apparatus A and the communication processingapparatus B, the server registers the user B as a “friend” of the user Ain step S109.

In step S110, the server transmits, to the communication processingapparatus A, a registration completion notification indicating that theuser B has been registered as a “friend” of the user A. In step S111,the server transmits, to the communication processing apparatus B, aregistration completion notification indicating that the user B has beenregistered as a “friend” of the user A.

In the above description, the registration processing for the user A insteps S101 to 102 is performed as processing for registering an initialmember of the community. However, this registration processing is notnecessarily normal registration processing. The processing of steps S101to S102 may be performed as interim registration processing for the userA and normal registration for the user A may be performed on conditionthat the sequence of steps S103 to S109 is completed. With suchprocessing, meeting a registered user (in this case, the user B) in thereal world is set as a requirement for user registration for the user A.

(2) Processing sequence in which users A and B who are registered ascommunity members are registered as members of a particular group(friend) of community members on condition that both the users A and Bmeet each other in the real world (see FIG. 3)

Next, a processing sequence in which users A and B who are registered ascommunity members are registered as members of a particular group(friend) of community members on condition that both the users A and Bmeet each other in the real world will be explained with reference toFIG. 3.

In the sequence shown in FIG. 2, the user B who is not registered as acommunity member is directly registered as a “friend”, which is onecategory of community members. In the sequence shown in FIG. 3,similarly to the user A, initial registration as a community member isperformed for the user B. After that, the user B is registered as anupgraded member as a “friend”, which is one category group of communitymembers, on condition that the user B meets the user A in the realworld.

That is, in this processing example, even though both initial membersand members registered as “friends” are members of a community, theinitial members and the members registered as “friends” aredistinguished from each other as different types of members.

As in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 shows a communication processing sequence performedamong a server that performs management processing for a community, morespecifically, that performs registration processing for registeringmembers of the community, and communication processing apparatuses A andB owned by users A and B who are to be registered as community members.

Processing steps in the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 3 will beexplained.

Processing of steps S201 to 202 is registration processing for the userA performed in accordance with communication processing performedbetween the communication processing apparatus A owned by the user A andthe server. This registration processing for the user A is, for example,registration as an initial member of the community, but is notregistration as a “friend”.

The registration sequence for registering the user A is as describedbelow. In step S201, the user A transmits, by using the communicationprocessing apparatus A, predetermined user information including useridentification information (user ID) to the server. The server performsa predetermined user verification sequence in accordance with the userinformation including the user identification information (user ID)received from the communication processing apparatus A. In a case whereit is determined that the user A satisfies a registration requirement,the server stores the user information including the user identificationinformation in the database, and performs processing for registering theuser A as a community member. After registration is completed, in stepS202, the server transmits a registration completion notification to thecommunication processing apparatus A. The user ID may be an IDcorresponding to the user A or an ID corresponding to the communicationprocessing apparatus A.

Processing of steps S203 to S204 is registration processing for the userB performed in accordance with communication processing performedbetween the communication processing apparatus B owned by the user B andthe server. This registration processing for the user B is also, forexample, registration as an initial member of the community, but is notregistration as a “friend”. Since the processing of steps S203 to S204is similar to the processing of steps S201 to 202 described above, thedescription of the processing of steps S203 to 204 will be omitted.

After the processing of steps S201 to S204 is performed, the processingof step S205 and the subsequent steps is performed, and registration ofeach user as a “friend” is performed.

In step S205, the user A (initial member) and the user B (initialmember) meet each other, and near-field communication is performedbetween the communication processing apparatus A owned by the user A andthe communication processing apparatus B owned by the user B. Near-fieldcommunication is performed by using the near-field communication units123 and 133 of the communication processing apparatuses 120 and 130shown in FIG. 1.

In step S206, the communication processing apparatus A stores, ascommunication history information, data received from the communicationprocessing apparatus B in the storage unit of the communicationprocessing apparatus A, and the communication processing apparatus Bstores, as communication history information, data received from thecommunication processing apparatus A in the storage unit of thecommunication processing apparatus B.

In the near-field communication, for example, the following data aretransmitted from the communication processing apparatus A to thecommunication processing apparatus B, as in the processing sequenceshown in FIG. 2:

(a) a user ID of the user A (an ID corresponding to the user A or an IDcorresponding to the communication processing apparatus A)

(b) a nickname of the user A (any name (handle) set by the user A)corresponding to the user ID

(c) data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

(e) an identifier of a server site (website) registered by the user A

(f) access information (URL) on the server site

The data (a) to (f) are transmitted from the communication processingapparatus A owned by the user A to the communication processingapparatus B owned by the user B. The communication processing apparatusB stores the received data as communication history information in thestorage unit of the communication processing apparatus B. Among the data(a) to (f), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. The other data arenot necessary. However, it is desirable that the other data also betransmitted if the other data can be transmitted.

Meanwhile, in the near-field communication, for example, the followingdata are transmitted from the communication processing apparatus B tothe communication processing apparatus A:

(a) a user ID of the user B (an ID corresponding to the user B or an IDcorresponding to the communication processing apparatus B)

(b) a nickname of the user B (any name (handle) set by the user B)corresponding to the user ID

(c) data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

The data (a) to (d) are transmitted from the communication processingapparatus B owned by the user B to the communication processingapparatus A owned by the user A. The communication processing apparatusA stores the received data as communication history information in thestorage unit of the communication processing apparatus A. Among the data(a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. The other data arenot necessary. However, it is desirable that the other data also betransmitted if the other data can be transmitted.

After near-field communication between the communication processingapparatus A and the communication processing apparatus B is performed,the processing of step S207 and the subsequent steps is performed.

In step S207, the communication processing apparatus A is connected tothe server, and issues to the server a registration request to registerthe user B as a “friend” of the user A. As described above, “friend” isone category of members who join the community provided and managed bythe server, and a member registered as a “friend” is distinguished froman “initial member”. When issuing the registration request, thecommunication processing apparatus A uploads to the server thecommunication history data, which is a record of near-fieldcommunication with the communication processing apparatus B, stored inthe storage unit of the communication processing apparatus A. Morespecifically, the following data are acquired from the storage unit andtransmitted to the server:

(a) the user ID of the user B

(b) the nickname of the user B (any name (handle) set by the user B)corresponding to the user ID

(c) the data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) the information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

Among the data (a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. Theother data are not necessary. However, it is desirable that the otherdata also be transmitted if the other data have been acquired.

Meanwhile, in step S208, the communication processing apparatus B isconnected to the server, and issues to the server a registration requestto register the user A as a “friend” of the user B. When issuing theregistration request, the communication processing apparatus B uploadsto the server the communication history data, which is a record ofnear-field communication with the communication processing apparatus A,stored in the storage unit of the communication processing apparatus B.More specifically, the following data are acquired from the storage unitand transmitted to the server:

(a) the user ID of the user A

(b) the nickname of the user A (any name (handle) set by the user A)corresponding to the user ID

(c) the data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) the information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

Among the data (a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. Theother data are not necessary. However, it is desirable that the otherdata also be transmitted if the other data have been acquired.

In step S209, the server compares the communication history data, whichis a record of near-field communication, received from the communicationprocessing apparatus A with the communication history data, which is arecord of near-field communication, received from the communicationprocessing apparatus B.

The comparison processing includes, for example, the following dataverification processing:

(x) verifying that the communication date and time recorded in thecommunication history data received from the communication processingapparatus A matches the communication date and time recorded in thecommunication history data received from the communication processingapparatus B

(y) verifying that the user ID recorded in the communication historydata received from the communication processing apparatus A is the sameas the user ID corresponding to the user B (or the communicationprocessing apparatus B) received from the communication processingapparatus B and that the user ID recorded in the communication historydata received from the communication processing apparatus B is the sameas the user ID corresponding to the user A (or the communicationprocessing apparatus A)

In step S209, the server performs the data verification processing (x)and (y). For example, in a case where information on the position wherenear-field communication was performed has been received from each ofthe communication processing apparatuses A and B, the server checkswhether the positional information received from the communicationprocessing apparatus A matches the positional information received fromthe communication processing apparatus B. Furthermore, if other datathat can be subjected to comparison have been received, the serverperforms comparison of the data.

As described above, in step S209, by comparing the data received fromthe communication processing apparatus A with the data received from thecommunication processing apparatus B, the server checks whethernear-field communication has been performed between the communicationprocessing apparatus A and the communication processing apparatus B.

In a case where verification in step S209 is successful and it isverified that near-field communication has been performed between thecommunication processing apparatus A and the communication processingapparatus B, the server registers the users A and B as “friends”, whichare category members different from initial members, in step S210.

In step S211, the server transmits, to the communication processingapparatus A, a registration completion notification indicating that theusers A and B have been registered as “friends”. In step S212, theserver transmits, to the communication processing apparatus B, aregistration completion notification indicating that the users A and Bhave been registered as “friends”.

In the above description, the registration processing for the users Aand B in steps S201 to S204 is performed as processing for registeringinitial members of the community. However, this registration processingis not necessarily normal registration processing. The processing ofsteps S201 to S204 may be performed as interim registration processingfor the users A and B and the users A and B may be registered asauthorized members on condition that the sequence of steps S205 to S210is completed.

(3) Processing sequence in which only a user who has been to a shop ispermitted to be registered as a member of a community established by theshop (see FIG. 4)

Next, a processing sequence in which only a user who has been to a shopis permitted to be registered as a member of a community established bythe shop will be explained with reference to FIG. 4.

This processing example can be applied to, for example, a service formin which a shop builds a community made up of users who have been to theshop so that the users registered to the community are eligible forbenefits to buy products at a discount price.

In a case where a shop builds such a community and performs userregistration, the number of ghost members who are registered but notactually visit the shop often increases. In the sequence shown in FIG.4, an increase in the number of such ghost members is avoided, and onlyusers who have actually been to the shop are permitted to be registeredas members.

FIG. 4 shows a communication processing sequence performed among aserver that performs management processing for a community, morespecifically, that performs registration processing for registeringmembers of the community, a communication processing apparatus C servingas a shop terminal installed in a shop C which builds a community, and acommunication processing apparatus A owned by a user A to be registeredas a community member. The communication processing apparatus C has aconfiguration similar to that of each of the communication processingapparatuses A and B shown in FIG. 1.

Processing steps in the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 4 will beexplained.

Processing of steps S301 to S302 is registration processing for the userA performed in accordance with communication processing performedbetween the communication processing apparatus A owned by the user A andthe server. This registration processing for the user A is userregistration processing to obtain eligibility to join a communitymanaged by the server. This registration processing is not registrationas a member of a community built by the shop C. This registrationprocessing is user registration that is necessary as a prerequisite tobecome a member of a community built by the shop C.

The registration sequence for registering the user A is as describedbelow. In step S301, the user A transmits, by using the communicationprocessing apparatus A, predetermined user information including useridentification information (user ID) to the server. The server performsa predetermined user verification sequence in accordance with the userinformation including the user identification information (user ID)received from the communication processing apparatus A. In a case whereit is determined that the user A satisfies a registration requirement,the server stores the user information including the user identificationinformation in the database, and performs processing for registering theuser A as a member eligible to join various communities managed by theserver. After registration is completed, in step S302, the servertransmits a registration completion notification to the communicationprocessing apparatus A. The user ID may be an ID corresponding to theuser A or an ID corresponding to the communication processing apparatusA.

Processing of steps S303 to S304 is registration processing for the shopC performed in accordance with communication processing performedbetween the communication processing apparatus C, which is a shopterminal owned by the shop C, and the server. The registrationprocessing for the shop C is also, for example, registration to obtaineligibility to join a community managed by the server. Since theprocessing of steps S303 to S304 is similar to the processing of stepsS301 to S302 described above, the description of the processing of stepsS303 to S304 will be omitted.

Furthermore, in steps S305 to S306, in accordance with the communicationprocessing performed between the communication processing apparatus Cserving as a shop terminal and the server, processing for building acommunity managed by the shop C is performed. A user who obtainseligibility to join a community is able to build a community. In theprocessing of steps S305 to S306, the shop C builds a community.

In step S305, the communication processing apparatus C serving as a shopterminal issues to the server a request to create a community. Whenissuing the request, the communication processing apparatus C transmits,to the server, information conforming to the management standards set bythe server. After verifying that a predetermined requirement issatisfied, the server creates a community to be managed by the shop C.In step S306, the server transmits, to the communication processingapparatus C owned by the shop C, a community creation completionnotification.

The processing of step S307 and the subsequent steps is a registrationsequence for registering a member who joins the community managed by theshop C.

In step S307, the user who carries the communication processingapparatus A visits the shop C, and holds the communication processingapparatus A over the communication processing apparatus C serving as ashop terminal installed in the shop C, so that near-field communicationbetween the communication processing apparatus A and the communicationprocessing apparatus C can be performed. The near-field communicationperformed here is similar to the near-field communication performed byusing the near-field communication units 123 and 133 of thecommunication processing apparatuses 120 and 130 shown in FIG. 1.

In step 308, the communication processing apparatus A stores, ascommunication history information, data received from the communicationprocessing apparatus C in the storage unit of the communicationprocessing apparatus A, and the communication processing apparatus Cstores, as communication history information, data received from thecommunication processing apparatus A in the storage unit of thecommunication processing apparatus C.

In the near-field communication, for example, the following data aretransmitted from the communication processing apparatus A to thecommunication processing apparatus C, as in the processing sequenceshown in FIG. 2:

(a) a user ID of the user A (an ID corresponding to the user A or an IDcorresponding to the communication processing apparatus A)

(b) a nickname of the user A (any name (handle) set by the user A)corresponding to the user ID

(c) data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

(e) an identifier of a server site (website) registered by the user A

(f) access information (URL) on the server site

The data (a) to (f) are transmitted from the communication processingapparatus A owned by the user A to the communication processingapparatus C installed in the shop C. The communication processingapparatus C stores the received data as communication historyinformation in the storage unit of the communication processingapparatus C. Among the data (a) to (f), only the data (a) and (c) arenecessary. The other data are not necessary. However, it is desirablethat the other data also be transmitted if the other data can betransmitted.

Meanwhile, in the near-field communication, for example, the followingdata are transmitted from the communication processing apparatus C tothe communication processing apparatus A:

(a) a user ID of the shop C (an ID corresponding to the shop C or an IDcorresponding to the communication processing apparatus C)

(b) a nickname of the shop C (any name (handle) set by the shop C)corresponding to the user ID

(c) data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

The data (a) to (d) are transmitted from the communication processingapparatus C to the communication processing apparatus A owned by theuser A. The communication processing apparatus A stores the receiveddata as communication history information in the storage unit of thecommunication processing apparatus A. Among the data (a) to (d), onlythe data (a) and (c) are necessary. The other data are not necessary.However, it is desirable that the other data also be transmitted if theother data can be transmitted.

After near-field communication between the communication processingapparatus A and the communication processing apparatus C is performed,the processing of step S309 and the subsequent steps is performed.

In step S309, the communication processing apparatus A is connected tothe server, and issues to the server a registration request to registerthe communication processing apparatus A as a member of the communitymanaged by the shop C. When issuing the registration request, thecommunication processing apparatus A uploads to the server thecommunication history data, which is a record of near-fieldcommunication with the communication processing apparatus C, stored inthe storage unit of the communication processing apparatus A. Morespecifically, the following data are acquired from the storage unit andtransmitted to the server:

(a) the user ID of the shop C

(b) the nickname of the shop C (any name (handle) set by the shop C)corresponding to the user ID

(c) the data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) the information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

Among the data (a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. Theother data are not necessary. However, it is desirable that the otherdata also be transmitted if the other data have been acquired.

Meanwhile, in step S310, the communication processing apparatus Cinstalled in the shop C is connected to the server, and issues to theserver an updating request to update registration information on thecommunity managed by the shop C. When issuing the updating request, thecommunication processing apparatus C uploads to the server thecommunication history data, which is a record of near-fieldcommunication with the communication processing apparatus A, stored inthe storage unit of the communication processing apparatus C. Morespecifically, the following data are acquired from the storage unit andtransmitted to the server:

(a) the user ID of the user A

(b) the nickname of the user A (any name (handle) set by the user A)corresponding to the user ID

(c) the data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) the information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

Among the data (a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. Theother data are not necessary. However, it is desirable that the otherdata also be transmitted if the other data have been acquired.

In step S311, the server compares the communication history data, whichis a record of near-field communication, received from the communicationprocessing apparatus A with the communication history data, which is arecord of near-field communication, received from the communicationprocessing apparatus C.

The comparison processing includes, for example, the following dataverification processing:

(x) verifying that the communication date and time recorded in thecommunication history data received from the communication processingapparatus A matches the communication date and time recorded in thecommunication history data received from the communication processingapparatus C

(y) verifying that the user ID recorded in the communication historydata received from the communication processing apparatus A is the sameas the user ID corresponding to the shop C (or the communicationprocessing apparatus C) received from the communication processingapparatus C and that the user ID recorded in the communication historydata received from the communication processing apparatus C is the sameas the user ID corresponding to the user A (or the communicationprocessing apparatus A)

In step S311, the server performs the data verification processing (x)and (y). For example, in a case where information on the position wherenear-field communication was performed has been received from each ofthe communication processing apparatuses A and C, the server checkswhether the positional information received from the communicationprocessing apparatus A matches the positional information received fromthe communication processing apparatus C. Furthermore, if other datathat can be subjected to comparison have been received, the serverperforms comparison of the data.

As described above, in step S311, by comparing the data received fromthe communication processing apparatus A with the data received from thecommunication processing apparatus C, the server checks whethernear-field communication has been performed between the communicationprocessing apparatus A and the communication processing apparatus C.

In a case where verification in step S311 is successful and it isverified that near-field communication has been performed between thecommunication processing apparatus A and the communication processingapparatus C, the server registers the user A as a member of thecommunity managed by the shop C in step S312.

In step S313, the server transmits, to the communication processingapparatus A, a registration completion notification indicating that theuser A has been registered as a member of the community managed by theshop C. In step S314, the server transmits, to the communicationprocessing apparatus C, a registration completion notificationindicating that the user A has been registered as a member of thecommunity managed by the shop C.

In the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 4, first, in steps S301 to S302,registration processing for the user A is performed in accordance withcommunication processing performed between the communication processingapparatus A owned by the user A and the server. Then, the user A visitsthe shop C, and near-field communication between the communicationprocessing apparatus A and the communication processing apparatus Cserving as a shop terminal is performed in steps S307 to S308. The orderof these processing steps may be different from that described above.That is, first, the user A may visit the shop C, and near-fieldcommunication between the communication processing apparatus A and thecommunication processing apparatus C serving as a shop terminal may beperformed. Then, registration processing for the user A may be performedin accordance with communication processing performed between thecommunication processing apparatus A and the server.

(4) Processing sequence in which near-field communication historyinformation is transferred between a plurality of communicationprocessing apparatuses (for example, a cellular phone and a PC) owned bya user and transfer information is used (see FIG. 5)

Next, a processing sequence in which near-field communication historyinformation is transferred between a plurality of communicationprocessing apparatuses (for example, a cellular phone and a PC) owned bya user and transfer information is used will be described with referenceto FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 shows a communication processing sequence performed among aserver that performs management processing for a community, morespecifically, that performs registration processing for registeringmembers of the community, a communication processing apparatus A ownedby a user A, and a communication processing apparatus B1 and acommunication processing apparatus B2 owned by a user B, the users A andB being to be registered as community members. The communicationprocessing apparatus B1 owned by the user B is, for example, a cellularphone. The communication processing apparatus B2 owned by the user B is,for example, a PC. Each of the communication processing apparatus A, thecommunication processing apparatus B1, and the communication processingapparatus B2 has a function similar to that of the communicationprocessing apparatus described above with reference to FIG. 1.

In steps S401 to S402, user registration for the user A is performed inaccordance with communication with the server. Then, the user B isregistered as a “friend” of the user A. Here, “friend” is one categoryof members who join the community.

As in the processing described with reference to FIG. 2, this processingexample is also a processing sequence in which only a user who satisfiesthe condition “to have met a registered user in the real world” can benewly registered.

Processing steps of the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 5 will beexplained.

Processing of steps S401 to S402 is registration processing for the userA performed in accordance with communication processing performedbetween the communication processing apparatus A owned by the user A andthe server. The registration processing for the user A is performed, forexample, as processing for registering an initial member of thecommunity. Predetermined user verification processing is performed, anduser registration is performed. Such a registration sequence forregistering an initial member is different from a registration sequencefor registering the user B, which will be described later. Thus, it isdesirable that only a predetermined limited number of members beregistered as initial members.

The registration sequence for registering the user A is as describedbelow. In step S401, the user A transmits, by using the communicationprocessing apparatus A, predetermined user information including useridentification information (user ID) to the server. The server performsa predetermined user verification sequence in accordance with the userinformation including the user identification information (user ID)received from the communication processing apparatus A. In a case whereit is determined that the user A satisfies a registration requirement,the server stores the user information including the user identificationinformation in the database, and performs processing for registering theuser A as a community member. After registration is completed, in stepS402, the server transmits a registration completion notification to thecommunication processing apparatus A. The user ID may be an IDcorresponding to the user A or an ID corresponding to the communicationprocessing apparatus A.

The processing of step S403 and the subsequent steps is processing forregistering a new member (additional member) of the community. In thisprocessing example, in order to avoid registration of a ghost member orthe like, only a user who have met in the real world an authorizedregistered member (in this example, the user A) can be registered.

In step S403, the user A (who has been registered as a community member)and the user B (who has not been registered) meet each other, andnear-field communication between the communication processing apparatusA owned by the user A and the communication processing apparatus B1owned by the user B is performed. Near-field communication is performedby using the near-field communication units 123 and 133 of thecommunication processing apparatuses 120 and 130 shown in FIG. 1.

In step S404, the communication processing apparatus A stores, ascommunication history information, data received from the communicationprocessing apparatus B1 in the storage unit of the communicationprocessing apparatus A, and the communication processing apparatus B1stores, as communication history information, data received from thecommunication processing apparatus A in the storage unit of thecommunication processing apparatus B1.

In the near-field communication, for example, the following data aretransmitted from the communication processing apparatus A to thecommunication processing apparatus B1:

(a) a user ID of the user A (an ID corresponding to the user A or an IDcorresponding to the communication processing apparatus A)

(b) a nickname of the user A (any name (handle) set by the user A)corresponding to the user ID

(c) data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

(e) an identifier of a server site (website) registered by the user A

(f) access information (URL) on the server site

The data (a) to (f) are transmitted from the communication processingapparatus A owned by the user A to the communication processingapparatus B1 owned by the user B. The communication processing apparatusB1 stores the received data as communication history information in thestorage unit of the communication processing apparatus B1. Among thedata (a) to (f), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. The other dataare not necessary. However, it is desirable that the other data also betransmitted if the other data can be transmitted.

Meanwhile, in the near-field communication, for example, the followingdata are transmitted from the communication processing apparatus B1 tothe communication processing apparatus A:

(a) a user ID of the user B (an ID corresponding to the user B or an IDcorresponding to the communication processing apparatus B1)

(b) a nickname of the user B (any name (handle) set by the user B)corresponding to the user ID

(c) data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

The data (a) to (d) are transmitted from the communication processingapparatus B1 owned by the user B to the communication processingapparatus A owned by the user A. The communication processing apparatusA stores the received data as communication history information in thestorage unit of the communication processing apparatus A. Among the data(a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. The other data arenot necessary. However, it is desirable that the other data also betransmitted if the other data can be transmitted.

After near-field communication between the communication processingapparatus A and the communication processing apparatus B1 is performed,the user B brings the communication processing apparatus B1 back home,and near-field communication is performed between the communicationprocessing apparatus B1 and another communication processing apparatusB2, which is, for example, a PC placed in the home of the user B. Bythis near-field communication, the communication history informationwith the communication processing apparatus A stored in the storage unitof the communication processing apparatus B1 is transferred to thecommunication processing apparatus B2. The communication processingapparatus B2 stores the communication history information received fromthe communication processing apparatus B1 in the storage unit of thecommunication processing apparatus B2.

In step S407, the communication processing apparatus A is connected tothe server, and issues to the server a registration request to registerthe user B as a “friend” of the user A. As described above, “friend” isone category of members who join the community provided and managed bythe server. When issuing the registration request, the communicationprocessing apparatus A uploads to the server the communication historydata, which is a record of near-field communication with thecommunication processing apparatus B1, stored in the storage unit of thecommunication processing apparatus A. More specifically, the followingdata are acquired from the storage unit and transmitted to the server:

(a) the user ID of the user B

(b) the nickname of the user B (any name (handle) set by the user B)corresponding to the user ID

(c) the data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) the information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

Among the data (a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. Theother data are not necessary. However, it is desirable that the otherdata also be transmitted if the other data have been acquired.

In step S408, the communication processing apparatus B2 is connected tothe server, and issues to the server a registration request to registerthe user B. This registration request is a registration request toregister the user B as a “friend” of the user A. When issuing theregistration request, the communication processing apparatus B2 uploadsto the server the communication history data, which is a record ofnear-field communication with the communication processing apparatus A,transferred from the communication processing apparatus B1 and stored inthe storage unit of the communication processing apparatus B2. Morespecifically, the following data are acquired from the storage unit andtransmitted to the server:

(a) the user ID of the user A

(b) the nickname of the user A (any name (handle) set by the user A)corresponding to the user ID

(c) the data of the date and time when near-field communication wasperformed

(d) the information on the position where near-field communication wasperformed (in a case where the communication processing apparatus isprovided with a GPS)

Among the data (a) to (d), only the data (a) and (c) are necessary. Theother data are not necessary. However, it is desirable that the otherdata also be transmitted if the other data have been acquired.

Furthermore, in step S409, the communication processing apparatus B2 isconnected to the server, and transmits identification information (userID) of the user B to the server. The user ID is an ID corresponding tothe user B or an ID corresponding to the communication processingapparatus B1.

In step S410, the server compares the communication history data, whichis a record of near-field communication, received from the communicationprocessing apparatus A with the communication history data, which is arecord of near-field communication, received from the communicationprocessing apparatus B2.

The comparison processing includes, for example, the following dataverification processing:

(x) verifying that the communication date and time recorded in thecommunication history data received from the communication processingapparatus A matches the communication date and time recorded in thecommunication history data received from the communication processingapparatus B2

(y) verifying that the user ID recorded in the communication historydata received from the communication processing apparatus A is the sameas the user ID corresponding to the user B (or the communicationprocessing apparatus B1) received from the communication processingapparatus B2 and that the user ID recorded in the communication historydata received from the communication processing apparatus B2 is the sameas the user ID corresponding to the registered user A (or thecommunication processing apparatus A)

In step S410, the server performs the data verification processing (x)and (y). For example, in a case where information on the position wherenear-field communication was performed has been received from each ofthe communication processing apparatuses A and B2, the server checkswhether the positional information received from the communicationprocessing apparatus A matches the positional information received fromthe communication processing apparatus B2. Furthermore, if other datathat can be subjected to comparison have been received, the serverperforms comparison of the data.

As described above, in step S410, by comparing the data received fromthe communication processing apparatus A with the data received from thecommunication processing apparatus B2, the server checks whethernear-field communication has been performed between the communicationprocessing apparatus A and the communication processing apparatus B1.

In a case where verification in step S410 is successful and it isverified that near-field communication has been performed between thecommunication processing apparatus A and the communication processingapparatus B1, the server registers the user B as a “friend” of the userA in step S411.

In step S412, the server transmits, to the communication processingapparatus A, a registration completion notification indicating that theuser B has been registered as a “friend” of the user A. In step S413,the server transmits, to the communication processing apparatus B2, aregistration completion notification indicating that the user B has beenregistered as a “friend” of the user A.

In the above description, the registration processing for the user A insteps S401 to S402 is performed as processing for registering an initialmember of the community. However, this registration processing is notnecessarily normal registration processing. The processing of steps S401to S402 may be performed as interim registration processing for the userA and normal registration for the user A may be performed on conditionthat the sequence of steps S403 to S411 is completed. With suchprocessing, meeting a registered user (in this case, the user B) in thereal world is set as a requirement for user registration for the user A.

A plurality of processing sequences have been explained. As is clearfrom the above-described sequences, in community management processingaccording to an embodiment, when it is verified that users haveperformed near-field communication, the users can be registered ascommunity members. In addition, when it is verified that an apparatussuch as a cellular phone that can perform near-field communication hasperformed near-field communication with another communication processingapparatus, registration as a member of a community can be performed.

Namely, as described above, a user is permitted to join a community, forexample, in a case where it is verified, in accordance with near-fieldcommunication history data, that a user satisfies any one of thefollowing conditions (a) to (c):

(a) to have met a registered user in the real world

(b) to have been to a particular place or venue

(c) to have joined an event such as a particular meeting or party

With application of a feature of an embodiment, for example, in a casewhere an apparatus that can perform near-field communication isinstalled in a supermarket or fast food restaurant and communicationhistories are exchanged between the apparatus and an apparatus owned bya user, the following advantages can be achieved:

-   -   Only customers who have visited a shop can be registered as        members, and sale information, new products information, and the        like can be provided to only such effective members who will        visit the shop.    -   Opinions can be directly heard from customers.    -   This technology can be utilized as a marketing tool.

In addition, in a case where an apparatus that can perform near-fieldcommunication is installed in a concert or event venue (for example, abaseball field or a stadium) and communication histories are exchangedbetween the apparatus and an apparatus owned by a user, the followinguses can be achieved:

-   -   A fan club composed of only persons who have been to the venue        can be established.    -   Secret live information and exclusive goods information can be        provided to registered members.    -   Customers who have been to the venue many times can be upgraded        and treated as loyal customers.

In addition, an individual user who joins a community can enjoy thefollowing advantages:

-   -   The user can be registered in an upgraded category as a friend        in a community provision site.    -   The user can use an information source (group) properly.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of the server 110 servingas an information management apparatus that performs communitymanagement processing. The server 110 shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to theserver 110 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 6, the server 110 servingas an information management apparatus includes a communication unit311, a data comparison unit 312, and a data registration unit 313.

The communication unit 311 receives, from a plurality of communicationprocessing apparatuses, a plurality of pieces of communication historydata of near-field communication performed in the plurality ofcommunication processing apparatuses. The data comparison unit 312performs comparison of the plurality of pieces of communication historydata received by the communication unit 311. The data registration unit313 performs processing for registering users of the plurality ofcommunication processing apparatuses as community members in thedatabase 111 on condition that it is verified by the data comparisonunit 312, in accordance with the plurality of pieces of communicationhistory data of the near-field communication, that near-fieldcommunication has been performed between the plurality of communicationprocessing apparatuses.

The data comparison unit 312 determines, for example, in accordance withuser IDs of communication processing apparatuses with which othercommunication processing apparatuses have performed near-fieldcommunication, the user IDs being included in communication history datareceived from the other communication processing apparatuses, whethernear-field communication has been performed between the plurality ofcommunication processing apparatuses.

In addition, the data comparison unit 312 performs verificationprocessing for checking whether a plurality of pieces of data of anear-field communication date and time included in the plurality ofpieces of communication history data received from the plurality ofcommunication processing apparatuses match each other and checkingwhether a plurality of pieces of data of a near-field communicationposition included in the plurality of pieces of communication historydata received from the plurality of communication processing apparatusesmatch each other. Accordingly, the data comparison unit 312 determineswhether near-field communication has been performed between theplurality of communication processing apparatuses.

Specific embodiments have been described above. However, it is obviousthat modifications or alterations of embodiments can be made to thepresent application by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe scope. That is, the present application has been disclosed by way ofexemplary embodiments, and should not be construed in a limited manner.The scope should be determined with reference to the appended claims.

In addition, the series of processes described in the description can beimplemented by hardware or software, or a combination thereof. When theseries of processes is implemented by software, a program recording aprocessing sequence may be installed into an internal memory of acomputer incorporated in dedicated hardware and executed, or may beinstalled onto a general-purpose computer capable of executing varioustypes of processing and executed. For example, the program can berecorded in advance on a recording medium. The program can be installedonto a computer from the recording medium, or received from a networksuch as a local-area network (LAN) or the Internet, so that the computercan install the program into a recording medium such as an internal harddisk.

Note that various types of processing described in the description arenot necessarily performed in a time series manner as described and maybe performed in parallel or individually according to the performance ofthe apparatus that performs the processing or where necessary. Inaddition, the system referred to in the description represents astructure of a logical set of a plurality of apparatuses, and theapparatuses having individual configurations are not necessarilycontained in a single housing.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope and without diminishing itsintended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes andmodifications be covered by the appended claims.

1. A communication processing apparatus comprising: a near-field communication unit configured to perform near-field communication; a control unit configured to acquire communication history data of near-field communication performed by using the near-field communication unit; and a storage unit configured to store the communication history data under control of the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to acquire the communication history data stored in the storage unit and transmit the acquired communication history data to a server that performs information management, when issuing an information registration request to the server.
 2. The communication processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to acquire, as the communication history data, identification information on a communication processing apparatus with which near-field communication has been performed, and when issuing the information registration request, transmit the acquired identification information to the server.
 3. The communication processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to acquire, as the communication history data, execution date and time information on a date and time when near-field communication was performed, and when issuing the information registration request, transmit the acquired execution date and time information to the server.
 4. The communication processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to acquire, as the communication history data, execution position information on a position where near-field communication was performed, and when issuing the information registration request, transmit the acquired execution position information to the server.
 5. A computer program product having instructions that when read by a CPU cause a communication processing apparatus to perform data processing comprising the steps of: causing a near-field communication unit to perform near-field communication with another communication processing apparatus; causing a control unit to acquire communication history data of near-field communication performed by using the near-field communication unit and to store the acquired communication history data in a storage unit; and causing the control unit to acquire the communication history data stored in the storage unit and to transmit the acquired communication history data to a server that performs information management, when causing the control unit to issue an information registration request to the server.
 6. A data processing method performed in a communication processing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of: performing, by using a near-field communication unit, near-field communication with another communication processing apparatus; acquiring, by using a control unit, communication history data of near-field communication performed by using the near-field communication unit, and storing, by using the control unit, the acquired communication history data in a storage unit; and acquiring, by using the control unit, the communication history data stored in the storage unit and transmitting, by using the control unit, the acquired communication history data to a server that performs information management, when issuing, by using the control unit, an information registration request to the server. 